Supt. Chitadel C. Gaoiran, chief of the Public Information Office of the Police Regional Office Calabarzon, identified the victim as Ferdinand Malolos Ramos, 59, a businessman.

Gaoiran said Ramos was on his way home to Barangay Poblacion 2 when an unidentified man ap­peared and shot him at around 7:25 p.m.

Ramos, who sustained a bul­let wound in the face, was taken to the hospital while the suspect escaped.

Gaoiran said the regional police command headquarters has ac­tivated “Oplan: Iron Curtain,” an operation which directs all police stations and units in Sto. Tomas and nearby towns and cities on the scope of the investigation and manhunt operations that could lead to the arrest of the suspect.

Case investigator SPO1 Joel Banta said Ramos started his politi­cal career as chairman of Barangay Poblacion 2 in 1989 and completed three terms.

Ramos also ran as municipal councilor for three terms and was later elected the town’s vice mayor under the local political party Para sa Masang Batangueño with running mate Mayor Manding Maligaya.

During the May 2016 local elec­tions, he was the vice mayoral running mate of Maligaya but the tandem lost in the hotly-contested polls to Mayor Edna P. Sanchez.

Barely a month before the local polls on April 19, 2016, Mario Ri­vera, a known campaign manager of Maligaya, was killed in Barangay Poblacion.

Meanwhile, at least four police­men have been sent to secure Ramos in his hospital room.

Banta said Ramos was still under observation. “He’s still being ob­served by doctors while four police­men were stationed in the room to guard him,” said Banta.

Banta said they are checking for closed circuit television footages that could have possibly caught the shooting incident, and wit­nesses’ accounts to jumpstart their investigation.

“Right now, we are still conduct­ing follow up operations and our investigators are on the crime scene, checking for CCTVs and interviewing possible witnesses,” he stated.

Stricter security measures have been implemented in all entry and exit points of the province as police try to capture the gunman.

The identity of the gunman and the motive behind incident remain a mystery to the police but Banta assured that they will get to the bottom of the case to arrest the as­sailant. (Martin A. Sadongdong and PNA)